The Case Against Rank

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Class rank means stress and unneeded pressure for most students. In a system where students are ranked solely based on grades and class level, there’s no question as to why class rank is such a burden on kids’ mental health.

Students already fight for the best grades. Someone could be happy with the grades they have, but now also have to be worried about class rank. Through the year, this just builds up negative tensions.

The schools will talk all day about how class rank doesn’t define students, but isn’t it just as bad to rank students in a line and define their academic career by a number?

The benefit of class rank is that it does give students motivation to try harder in their classes, and it forces students who care about their rank to choose more challenging classes, which looks good on the school. But even the few benefits of class rank come with bad consequences.

With that extra pressure, students may put themselves in classes that are too challenging and possibly be faced with the decision of dropping out. Students without class rank would not have that extra pressure and would be allowed to choose classes based on their grades and personal thoughts on their ability.

Other than making students try harder in class, class rank has a minimal impact. It barely makes an impact on college’s accepting people, and it’s not the most concerned about class rank. Instead, students should focus on their grades and SAT score.

Lastly, by assigning numbers to students it creates feelings of unhappiness about school. It can be humiliating if a student has a big number for class rank, and generally students dread seeing their class ranks because it is so hard to be satisfied when you are being ranked against all your peers.

Overall, class rank just stresses students out and the motivation it can bring is unhealthy. In a time where mental illness is more prevalent than ever before, class rank is is bound to make it even worse by comparing students. Class rank is simply degrading.